Jose Mourinho is stalking Willian, says the Daily Mail, but for the moment Chelsea are “reluctant to sell”.
The Brazilian midfielder is a favourite of the Manchester United manager and he was first linked to Old Trafford last month.
Since then the rumours have strengthened and the Mail says that United “have made enquiries” about the 29-year-old South American playmaker.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
With Willian struggling for regular game time at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho believes he can lure him north, but Chelsea will only consider a sale if “they receive an extraordinary offer”.
Blues boss Antonio Conte is keen to keep his squad intact for the second half of the season, and would not want to see one of his players join a club which is likely to be challenging them to see who finishes second in the league behind Manchester City.
Meanwhile The Sun reports that Barcelona are interested in Daley Blind. Taking Spanish rag Marca as the source of its story, the paper says that Barca coach Ernesto Valverde is tailing the Dutch international with an eye on a January bid.
Blind, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has seen his career stagnate at Old Trafford this season and the Sun says that Blind could be “booted out of United next month, albeit for a small fee”.
Apparently the Spanish giants value Blind’s versatility with the 27-year-old able to play in midfield, left-back and at the heart of defence, although so far this season he’s managed just four league appearances under Mourinho.
The fact that Javier Mascherano is leaving Barcelona for the Chinese super league next month gives credence to the rumours and United are likely to cash in on Blind rather than watch him leave on a free transfer in June.
